Month: May 2023

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The National Labor Relations Board approved a unionization election for workers at a south Columbia marijuana dispensary.

The board ordered the election in a May 22 ruling for workers to vote on whether or not they want to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655. The board will conduct the secret ballot election at “somewhere other than” the dispensary on Peachtree Drive. The unit would cover 24 workers, including full-time and part-time inventory specialists, patient consultants and patient consultant supervisors.

The Board said the union election would only apply for workers at the Peachtree Drive store, and not for those at the company’s northeast Columbia store or Jefferson City location.

People picketed outside the store in May after they claimed the store let many of them go for trying to unionize the workplace. The company told ABC 17 News on May 16 that those workers were fired for violating compliance regulations or creating a hostile working environment.

Sean Shannon, cannabis coordinator for UFCW Local 655, said the union has helped file complaints on behalf of workers either let go or suspended without pay from the store. Shannon said five workers had

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JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – Medical marijuana sales continue to rise in Arkansas.

According to the Department of Finance Administration, patients bought 5,043 pounds of medical marijuana during April for a total of $23.9 million.

Patients about $94 million dollars during the first four months of 2023 for 18,847 pounds of medical marijuana.

“With $2.85 million in medical marijuana tax revenue collected in April, the state surpassed $100 million in overall tax revenue since the industry launched in 2019,” said Scott Hardin, spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. “On average, patients are spending $787,000 a day at the state’s 38 dispensaries. If this continues, 2023 sales will surpass the $276 million spent in 2022.”

Suite 443 in Hot Springs had the largest amount at 537 pounds, followed by Natural Relief Dispensary in Sherwood with 477 pounds.

The DFA reported the following sales during April:

Suite 443 (Hot Springs, opened May 10, 2019) sold 537.41 pounds of medical marijuana in April.Green Springs Medical (Hot Springs, opened May 12, 2019) sold 187.96 pounds of medical marijuana in April.Arkansas Natural Products (Clinton, opened June 20, 2019) sold 53.53 pounds of medical marijuana in April.Greenlight Dispensary (Helena, opened June 27, 2019) sold 33.32 pounds of medical

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JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – Medical marijuana sales continue to rise in Arkansas.

According to the Department of Finance Administration, patients bought 5,043 pounds of medical marijuana during April for a total of $23.9 million.

Patients about $94 million dollars during the first four months of 2023 for 18,847 pounds of medical marijuana.

“With $2.85 million in medical marijuana tax revenue collected in April, the state surpassed $100 million in overall tax revenue since the industry launched in 2019,” said Scott Hardin, spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. “On average, patients are spending $787,000 a day at the state’s 38 dispensaries. If this continues, 2023 sales will surpass the $276 million spent in 2022.”

Suite 443 in Hot Springs had the largest amount at 537 pounds, followed by Natural Relief Dispensary in Sherwood with 477 pounds.

The DFA reported the following sales during April:

Suite 443 (Hot Springs, opened May 10, 2019) sold 537.41 pounds of medical marijuana in April.Green Springs Medical (Hot Springs, opened May 12, 2019) sold 187.96 pounds of medical marijuana in April.Arkansas Natural Products (Clinton, opened June 20, 2019) sold 53.53 pounds of medical marijuana in April.Greenlight Dispensary (Helena, opened June 27, 2019) sold 33.32 pounds of medical

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The New York State Office of Cannabis Management agreed to settle a lawsuit yesterday against a Michigan business owner.

The lawsuit kept recreational dispensaries in the Finger Lakes from being approved for a CAURD license like so many other regions had. MJ Dispensary in Henrietta is just waiting to open and now that the lawsuit has been settled, the owner may get approval for his license to do so as soon as next month.

NYS Office of Cannabis Management settles lawsuit, aims to issue licenses to Finger Lakes

According to the OCM, the lawsuit placed an injunction on five of New York’s regions, preventing the distribution of licenses for recreation cannabis dispensaries.

Back in March, the injunction was lifted for all regions, except the Finger Lakes, until yesterday. The New York State OCM agreed to settle the lawsuit yesterday, meaning the CAURD program can move forward in the Finger Lakes Region.

MJ Dispensary owner Ryan Martin says this is exciting. He says 18 licenses could get approved at next month’s Cannabis Control Board meeting. Martin is hoping they’ll be one of those called.

Monroe

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TAMPA, Fla. — A mushroom and hemp dispensary in Ybor City is changing how it markets and sells its mushroom products after being told it couldn’t sell them at the end of last year.

What You Need To Know A Ybor City dispensary is selling mushroom extracted products for educational and spiritual purposes
Originally, the dispensary’s owner was selling the product for consumption, but the state stepped in and said he was not allowed to do that
Health experts say that if this product is consumed, it should be under supervision and correctly dosed
If you’re dealing with negative side effects, they recommend going to the hospital

Carlos Hermida has a lot of inventory.

He’s packaging gelatin gummies, capsules and even chocolate that contains the compounds that are found in mushrooms with psychedelic properties.

As the owner of his store, Chillum, business is going well right now. So much so that he’s opening a new store in St. Pete.

But he’s also working with the state when it comes to selling those mushroom products.

“This is something that’s never really been done before,” Hermida said.

There’s a lot that still needs to be figured

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TAMPA, Fla. — A mushroom and hemp dispensary in Ybor City is changing how it markets and sells its mushroom products after being told it couldn’t sell them at the end of last year.

What You Need To Know A Ybor City dispensary is selling mushroom extracted products for educational and spiritual purposes
Originally, the dispensary’s owner was selling the product for consumption, but the state stepped in and said he was not allowed to do that
Health experts say that if this product is consumed, it should be under supervision and correctly dosed
If you’re dealing with negative side effects, they recommend going to the hospital

Carlos Hermida has a lot of inventory.

He’s packaging gelatin gummies, capsules and even chocolate that contains the compounds that are found in mushrooms with psychedelic properties.

As the owner of his store, Chillum, business is going well right now. So much so that he’s opening a new store in St. Pete.

But he’s also working with the state when it comes to selling those mushroom products.

“This is something that’s never really been done before,” Hermida said.

There’s a lot that still needs to be figured

Read More Here...

Average per day spending on medical marijuana in Arkansas is $787,000, but that tally toked higher to more than $2 million on April 20, a date – 4/20 – associated with the celebration of marijuana use.

Data from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) also show that licensed medical marijuana patients in the state spent $94.44 million for 18,847 pounds of medical marijuana, above the $89.835 million for 15,768 pounds in the same period of 2022. The sales total was up 5.1%, and the amount sold was up 19.5%.

The Arkansas Department of Health reports 94,282 active patient cards as of May 30, above the 93,977 active patient cards as of April 21, and up from 89,855 at the end of 2022.

“With $2.85 million in medical marijuana tax revenue collected in April, the state surpassed $100 million in overall tax revenue since the industry launched in 2019,” said DFA spokesman Scott Hardin. “On average, patients are spending $787,000 a day at the state’s 38 dispensaries. If this continues, 2023 sales will surpass the $276 million spent in 2022.”

Following are the top five dispensaries in terms of pounds sold in April.
• Suite 443 (Hot

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A medical marijuana dispensary license allows a business to legally sell medical marijuana and medical marijuana products, including mature plants and seedlings. Licensed dispensaries can only sell to other licensed dispensaries or patient license holders, caregiver license holders, research license holders, and the parent or legal guardian named on a minor patient’s license.

Dispensary licenses are in the form of a license certificate. Licensed dispensaries must comply with Title 63 O.S. § 420 et seq. and the Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 442:10. Licenses are valid for one year.

Licenses are available for Oklahoma residents who are at least 25 years old. Applicants must provide documents establishing the applicant; and the members, managers, and board members, if applicable; and 75% of the commercial applicant’s ownership interests are Oklahoma residents as required in the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act, 63 O.S. § 427.1 et seq.

Owners and officers must pass a background check. Dispensaries must provide proof the nearest perimeter wall is not within 1,000 feet of the property line for any public or private school.

A transporter license is issued simultaneously with approved dispensary licenses. The transporter license allows the licensee, through its licensed transporter agents, to transport their own medical marijuana and

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SPRINGFIELD – A proposed cannabis reform bill won’t get further consideration until at least the General Assembly’s fall veto session after stakeholders failed to come to an agreement during the spring session’s final stretch.

Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat and the bill’s sponsor, told Capitol News Illinois last week that Senate Bill 1559 didn’t pass in part due to disagreements around delta-8 THC, a synthetic psychoactive substance typically manufactured from hemp-derived CBD.

“We need to regulate it, make it safe, make sure that it’s taxed and treat it just like cannabis,” Ford said in an interview.

But advocates for the cannabis industry are pushing for a full ban. Ford said he refused to rewrite the bill to include a ban “without any serious dialogue from the public and from the state regulators.”

Right now, existing dispensaries have the green light from the city to grow — but there are no eligible locations to do so. A new policy is making its way to the San Jose City Council that may allow them to finally expand.

Last week, San Jose Spotlight reports the Planning Commission voted 7-3 in favor of cutting distance requirements from 1,000 feet to 500 feet between cannabis retailers to schools, day care centers and other community spaces. They are also recommending that the requirements designed to prevent the concentration of dispensaries in a certain area, or in high-crime hotspots, be eliminated.

The commission’s vote is just a recommendation to the city council and these changes would only go into effect if approved by councilmembers at their June 13 meeting.

This renewed effort comes less than a year after officials tried to reform cannabis dispensary rules to make way for new shops and more growth outside of East San Jose, where most dispensaries are clustered. The other reason for this push: each dispensary is estimated to bring in $1 million annually in city revenue.

Commissioner George Casey said, “By passing this and being in favor for this, it would spread (dispensaries) out of District

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